Compare the2022 Nissan ArmadaVS 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Armada are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Armada has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Armada and the Land Cruiser have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Armada has a standard 780-amp battery. The Land Cruiser’s 650-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Armada first among large suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Land Cruiser isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

The Armada’s 5.6 DOHC V8 produces 19 more horsepower (400 vs. 381) and 12 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 401) than the Land Cruiser’s 5.7 DOHC V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Armada is faster than the Toyota Land Cruiser:

On the EPA test cycle the Armada gets better mileage than the Land Cruiser:

The Armada has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Land Cruiser (26 vs. 24.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Armada stops shorter than the Land Cruiser:

The Armada Platinum’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Land Cruiser’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Armada Platinum has standard 22-inch wheels. The Land Cruiser’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Nissan Armada’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Toyota Land Cruiser only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Armada has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For superior ride and handling, the Nissan Armada has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota Land Cruiser has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The rear suspension of the Armada uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Land Cruiser, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Armada has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Armada’s wheelbase is 8.9 inches longer than on the Land Cruiser (121.1 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Armada is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Land Cruiser.

The Armada Platinum 4x4 handles at .73 G’s, while the Land Cruiser pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Armada Platinum 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Land Cruiser (28 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Armada S/SV has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Land Cruiser (9.1 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the Armada to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Armada SL/Platinum’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Land Cruiser (9.2 vs. 8.9 inches).

The Armada SL/Midnight/Platinum uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Armada has 11.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Land Cruiser (154.5 vs. 143.4).

The Armada’s cargo area provides more volume than the Land Cruiser.

The Armada’s cargo area provides more volume than the Land Cruiser Heritage Edition.

The Armada’s cargo area is larger than the Land Cruiser’s in almost every dimension:

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Armada Platinum’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Armada’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Land Cruiser’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

The Armada’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Land Cruiser’s (8500 vs. 8100 pounds).

The Armada SL/Platinum has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Armada and the Land Cruiser have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Armada is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Land Cruiser prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Armada’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Land Cruiser’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Armada’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Land Cruiser’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

The Armada is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Armada owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Armada will cost $4855 to $5655 less than the Land Cruiser over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Armada will be $11575 to $23317 less than for the Toyota Land Cruiser.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Armada second among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Land Cruiser isn’t in the top three.